Puppy Gal Welcomes You To
Judy's Journal....
I started this feature for friends and family to answer their "What's going on?" emails, therefore, I probably tell too much, but you are welcome to laugh, cry and sigh with us."Life is too short to deal with ugly acting people!"
"Sometimes, there are no answers." --J.L.Hudson, The Seedman.
Hardeman Co. Animal Control
This morning was a repeat of yesterday in that I got up at 2:00 AM. I woke up to Petunia
barking, Bob was snuggled up to my back, so I went down to be with her. Either she is just
like a little kid, wakes up and finds she is alone so starts barking or she might want to
go out to potty. There was a time when I would have bounded out with her all hours of the
night but not any longer. Last year's snake scare has gotten me to the point that I don't
go outside unless I can see where I'm stepping. It doesn't get light this time of the year
until around 6:00 AM.
Meanwhile I've eaten my fill of red grapes, put the coffee on to perk, started the Purina Puppy Chow to soak in water, emptied the dishwasher plus started both washing
machine and dryer. I ran out of things to do that wouldn't wake up the other dogs, so I
turned on the radio and I snuck back upstairs. If she makes a sound, I'll hurriedly go
back down. Poor Bob really needs some more sleep.
Yesterday when I went to the big city, I stopped at the butcher's for among other things pork liver to cook for the Bullies. They only had 3 lbs and wouldn't have more until Thursday so I got 10 pounds of pork necks for 25 cents a pound. Once home I put them in two big pots and cooked them until the meat fell off the bone. I tasted it and found it was just as good as a pork roast so I extracted the bones and made pork gravy to pour over their soaked Purnia Puppy chow. I should have some happy critters this morning.
I've just been back downstairs because Tunie want to make sure her Mama Judy hadn't run away. I put biscuits on to cook in a timed oven and their gravy on low to warm. I'm going to lay down for just a minute, everything will be fine if I drift off to sleep. - Judy
Rose "Gunny's"
Tuesday - 07/31/2007 4:00 PM
Bob came back home without having seen the doctor. There wasn't anyone at the office and there wasn't a note on the door, so we are preplexed to say the least. I have sent out inquiries to see if anyone knows what is going on. It's a small town so I'm sure my friend Kathy will be able to find out what's happening. - Judy
Tuesday - 07/31/2007 2:30 PM
In the middle of morning chores, I remembered one of us needed to make a supply run, no bread, milk or eggs in the house. Bob asked if I would, so off I went around 8:30 AM, didn't get back until 11:30 AM, then Bob told me he was experiencing a problem which was identical to that which caused the doctor to run tests and diagnose him with kidney cancer which lead to the removal of his right kidney several years ago, right in the middle of building this house. We searched the internet and decided the best thing to do was for him to go to the doctor. He called but only got a recording of their office hours, but it was 15 minutes pass the indicated lunch hour. We decided he should go ahead and drive the 45 minutes up to Bolivar TN because since this was an issue that needed to be deal with immediately if at all possible. I couldn't go with him because we couldn't leave "our gang" alone since the puppies need to be feed and we're expecting the temperature to exceed 95F this afternoon. Before he left I asked him if he was scared and he admitted he was .... so here I sit holding my breath until I hear from him. - Judy
Tuesday - 07/31/2007 5:00 AM
I've woke up at 2 AM to relive Bob. He had been sleeping on a pallet in the kitchen beside Petunia's whelping pool. Mama Judy said "Enough", you go to bed and let me handle her. He left and she got up and went into her crate. I fed her half a turkey breast and gave her a bowl of "Bully Mother Milkshake" special recipe, because she hadn't eaten either the dry Purina One Puppy Food or the soaked Puppy Chow with turkey gravy. She settled down just fine, so I went upstairs. She started barking and before I could get down she had soiled her crate. I called her out and proceeded to clean up the mess. Meanwhile she wedges herself behind an antique wooden crate I have in the kitchen. I had to unplug Bob's laptop computer and the radio because she was over the wires. OK she's wanting a den, I can do this. I covered her crate with a sheet except for about 10 inches on the one side to allow for air circulation. I stayed with her emptying and reloaded the dishwasher. I hear heavy breathing, there isn't enough air circulation. I rearranged the sheet, the front of the crate is open but all sides are completely covered and put a box fan about 5 feet away but directing the air toward her. It wasn't long before she was at the front of the crate showing dissatisfaction. So I turn the fan totally opposite so that the air is drawn from her crate and surrounding area. She seems happy, about that time Cherry and Hope decide it must be morning and they begin to bark to go out to potty. Oops, it's not light outside and I'm not going out there. I've had enough. I turned on the attic fan, opened the windows, turned off all the lights and came upstairs. It was then 4 AM.
All seems well there is no sound from below so I'm going back to bed for an hour. 6 AM is the magic hour when the sun begins to lighten the sky and I can see where I'm walking. - Judy
Monday - 07/30/2007 8:10 PM
All the critters are fine, the puppies are all putting on weight, Petunia has been better this afternoon, I awoke from my nap still tired. Decided it was more than tired, took my temperature and it was 100.6F, so I'm going to bed early tonight. Hopefully, I'll feel like pulling the 2 AM shift with "Tunie" and her pups.
Have a good night. - Judy
Monday - 07/30/2007 11:30 AM
I just came in from outside. Although I was working in the shade I still got so hot I thought I was about to pass out. I've been up since 1 AM. Around 2 AM I went downstairs to try to keep Petunia quiet so Bob could get a some sleep. She would sleep for 20 minutes or so then wake up and start barking. My being in the kitchen soothed her, but if I went into an other room she barked. I worked like a fool in her immediately area: washing, sweeping the kitchen, drying, cutting up cucumbers & tomatoes for quick snacks, cooking breakfast of biscuits & scrambled eggs, etc. I woke Bob up at 6 AM with a cup of coffee and a request to come downstairs to watch Petunia while she fed her puppies, my neck just could not handle that chore along with all the others I had done and were yet to be done.
AND I've been working ever since in the house and outside. I started parsing out large clumps of daylilies given to me by a friend. I wanted to share them with Twyla, our friend in Oklahoma who is battling cancer for the 3rd time. I took each clump, dividing them out between us. Then I realized I would be out there all day, so I put the small clumps which I could wash to make sure there were no snails, etc in Twyla's pile and I kept the bigger clumps that I couldn't pull apart ... my hands just aren't very strong this morning. I planted about 30 small clumps ranging from 1 fan to smaller daylilies with 10 or so in a clump. I have the bigger clumps sitting in a bucket of water. I don't know what I'm going to do with them, perhaps Bob will pull them apart for me. There were some "named" daylilies but I have no clue as to what the others might be. I suppose we'll find out June of next year.
By the time I upload this journal entry, I will have been working for 10 hours so I'm going to take a nap NOW. - Judy
Sunday - 07/29/2007 7:30 AM
Good news this morning, Queen of Hearts is no longer limping. She must be a sensitive little thing, not like the Bullies. This morning she was laying belly up in my arms while I rubbed her tummy. King Biscuit Eater is getting over being shy, he actually came up to me and wanted me to pet him, before today he was content to be about 10 feet away all the time. Black Jack found some Wandering Jew (plant) under the peach tree where I had tossed it. He laid down beside it and batted it lightly with his paw, but I figured the next step was to roll in it. lol lol
Petunia and the puppies are doing fine. She didn't let us get any sleep last night, barking to be with her babies, so we're running on adrenaline and if this keeps up for a couple of nights, we'll get grouchy. We can't allow her to stay with them because there is too high of a risk that she will roll over on one or more and mash them to death. I had that to happen with a 2 week old puppy, since then we take the puppies away from the mother and put them back with her to nurse every 2 hours at first them stretch it out to 3 hours.
I'm off to fix breakfast. I hope you will have a peaceful Sunday. - Judy
Saturday - 07/28/2007 9:00 PM
Ditch Puppy update, Queen of Hearts has a hurt leg. She's limping. We had the three of them in a great dane crate and let them out to potty 3-4 times a day for 30 minutes or so when we can watch them. This morning and at lunch time she was bouncing all around and tonight she's limping. Poor baby!!
We have named Petunia's puppies: Tiger Lily, Tennessee Rose & PeriWinkle. There aren't very many flowers with male names so we really had a time finding one.
Tiger Lily
PeriWinkle
Saturday - 07/28/2007 10:00 AM
I had to share these pictures with you all.
I love both of these pictures and wish to compliment Chase on his photography skills.
This is Chase with Maverick
This is Chase, Stacie (his mother) and Maverick
They are all just as nice as they look, even if Maverick does have his moments and is too smart for his own good. He can open doors, gates, etc.
Saturday - 07/28/2007 7:00 AM
Whew!! Washing machine, dryer and dish washer all going, all the inside dogs have been walked and their bedding changed out. Ditch Puppies crate cleaned and let out to potty. I have Purina Puppy Chow soaking and chicken gravy slowly warming, so it's time to take a breakfast break. It's too hot already to want a big meal, so we're having toasted garlic roasted Ciabatta Bread with cream cheese and will grab a mango in a little while.
The many faces of "Peace"
"America"
"Charlotte Armstong"
Squash Blooms
Saturday - 07/28/2007 5:30 AM
Weather: 74.4 °F / 23.6 °C, Clear with 88% Humidity. The high is to be 90 °F Chance of T-storms 40% chance of precipitation.
I just crawled out of bed, quietly went down stairs, turned on the attic fan and the clothes dryer. It's going to get hot in a hurry so I need to get the heat producing chores finished as quickly as possible. If I don't the heat will build up in the house like it did yesterday, the temperature was 80 °F on the first floor most all afternoon causing both the Bullies and I to breath heavily. - Judy
Friday - 07/27/2007 7:30 AM
Once again I've done too much work which involved looking down (answering emails, reviving puppies, taking care of the Ditch Puppies, working on the flower bed, sweeping the floor, deboning a turkey for the dogs, deboning and chopping up a pork roast for us, all the shopping for supplies/lifting same, pulling the water hose around to water the plants, etc.) so the old neck is hurting really bad. I have to stop working all together or it will get in a real snit and have me "down". Thank Goodness for Bob and his willingness to carry on without me.
Reba, daughter of my beloved Sassy T who passed away last year, is teaching Hope bad manners ... the kick your back feet up a little as you wiggle your behind and bark for something special to eat, never mind that there is a bowl of "regular" food readily available. By regular food we are talking soaked Purina Puppy Chow with a liberal amount of canned puppy food. I can just hear her say, "OK kid listen up!! That's turkey you smell and if you back me up we can get us some." Another time, "that sound is an egg being cracked open, either to cook or maybe already boiled. That is good eating, so watch for your que." Meanwhile Tunie is teaching her, "stay away from my food, even if I don't want it and don't even look at my "babies" or I'll get you." Dang this is enough to give anyone a neckache." lol lol - Judy
Friday - 07/27/2007 4:30 AM
So far all is good with the puppies. - Judy
Thursday - 07/26/2007 8:30 PM
I was right about there being 2 females and 1 male. They are beautiful and very active,
but the first week is critical so we're holding our breath. Meanwhile I'm exhausted and am
going to bed early, the pups will have us up every 2 hours for the first few days then it
will stretch out to 3 hours slowly. Bob takes care of the puppies for the first few days,
for many reasons, the main on being he can "catnap" I can't, but him getting up and down
to take care of the "babies" disturbs my sleep, if not him getting in and out of bed, then
it's the other dogs barking or fussing for his attention. Melanie can't stand not being
with him. I'd say she is jealous, but she doesn't show any aggression toward the other
critters, she will just come between them and him. lol lol So with the last litter she
would whine to be part of what he was doing. Petunia is a super sweet Bully but I think
she would take exception to Melanie being part of her puppies nursing. - Judy
Thursday - 07/26/2007 7:00 PM
Just got back from the vet's. Petunia had 3 puppies, 2 females and 1 male, I think. More later. We've got 2 hours worth of work to do quickly. - Judy
Wednesday - 07/25/2007 8:30 PM
I had almost completed my entry for today, when the electricity went out and I lost it, the entry, not my temper. lol lol Now let me see if I can remember what all I was telling you.
Early this morning, I went to the Ripley, MS town square where the farmers set up to sell their produce. All I got were two watermelon, one for a friend I was about to visit and one for Bob and I. She has a bad back therefore can't lift anything over 10 lbs and I'm just a "silly old woman with skinny arms that can't lift heavy items". I had gotten the farmer to load "her" watermelon, medium size so I thought, while I loaded ours which was small. Dang if her's wasn't too heavy for either of us to pick up and there was no one to offload it for us. I gave her mine and brought the medium size one home, Bob guessed it to weight 30 pounds or so ... no wonder I couldn't pick it up. lol lol
My friend had a box of daylilies waiting for me and offered me cuttings or divisions of everything in her garden. I hope I didn't hurt her feelings by declining, but we are expecting a litter of puppies and I just can't be dealing with plants.
The reason we were going to town yesterday was to get FREE compost .... City of Corinth
Compost, they take all the bagged leaves, etc that people leave on the curb, plus
other material like grass clippings and wood chips from tree trimmers etc. mix it
together and let it sit until it's compost. The plastic bags are mixed up with it but easy
enough to pick out. One backhoe bucket full almost filled a 4x8 raised bed, 3 landscape
timbers high on one side and 4 high on the other that Bob had built for me on Monday. I
had to take a picture of Bob with his little Datsun truck and faithful companion Melanie.
And now I am ready for bed. Have a good night and a wonderful tomorrow. - Judy
PS From our friend Twyla, "In Life you can either laugh or cry, so why not laugh?" I'm adding "At least Smile"
Tuesday - 07/24/2007 8:45 PM
My what big ears you have.........
Bob had to name them straight off, the black one is Black Jack (male) therefore the others were named Queen Of Hearts (female) and King Biscuit Eater (male). These pictures were taken after they ate and ate and ate. We spaced out the feedings because we didn't want them making themselves sick. They drank so much water I'm sure they were on the verge of dehydration.
Queen of Hearts
King Biscuit Eater
Tuesday - 07/24/2007 4:15 PM
On the way to town earlier, Bob pulled 3 puppies out of a hole in the ditch beside the road. They weren't near a house or anything , they had been dumped out a few days ago because they were more that half starved!!! We were on our way into town, I saw them as they made a dash to their den, he stopped in the middle of the country road, got out snatched them up and stuck them through the window to me. Poor Bob got scratched up from the briars covering their hole. Smart little puppies to have found the hole and it be hidden by briars.
Big problem here is we have a litter of English Bulldog puppies due between now and Saturday. If these dumped pups have any of the deadly puppy diseases our litter might get it and all die, but I'll figure all this out.
I'm going to rid them of the ticks and fleas, worm them, give them shots, take their pictures and ask the rescue group that we built the website for if they will try to place them. I know they are short of Foster Parents so we'll have to keep them until a home is found. If you are asking yourself why we stopped, please don't fill out an application for one of my puppies. We feel everything needs the opportunity to live and it is our duty to try the best that we can to see that happen. - Judy
Tuesday - 07/24/2007 8:15 AM
..... 41 messages waiting for a response.
Monday - 07/23/2007 9:30 PM
I couldn't go to sleep so I answered more emails, down to 50 after having brought some more into my mailbox.
Monday - 07/23/2007 7:30 PM
I'm down to 55 emails waiting to be answered but that's it for the night, I'm going to bed 4 AM will get here quickly!!! We're getting up early to start our chores in hopes of beating the heat, it was tough working outside this afternoon. It's forcasted to be 90F tomorrow. - Judy
Monday - 07/23/2007 6:00 PM
Training Tip: Bullies love boiled eggs so consider using a quarter of one as a treat and training tool.
If your Bully pup runs from you because it doesn't want to come back into the house or doesn't want to go into it's crate , break that bad habit by having a quarter of a boiled egg waiting in his crate and start using the words "go up". He will get the hang of it quickly, so when you are outside or on your way out the door say "go up", he'll know he's going to get part of a boiled egg and will come running and jump into the crate. At that point you can shut the door or leave it open.
Monday - 07/23/2007 4:00 PM
Warning About Lymes Disease
Sent: Friday, July 06, 2007 10:33 AM
Subject: Update on Precious
Hi Judy,
Well, just wanted to give you an update on Precious. It turns out it is somewhat serious. It’s Lyme disease. I am very frustrated because we have been extremely diligent about Frontline once a month since she was a baby. She’s on medication and we can just hope that we caught it early enough that there isn’t damage to her heart, nervous system, kidneys, etc. It’s weird how much the symptoms mirror arthritis. Lameness, joint pain, soreness, etc. – all classic Lyme disease symptoms. Anyway, the poor, poor baby!! Best, Tris & Charles
Frontline kills fleas and ticks but the have to bite your dog for it to kill them. That one bite can result in Lyme Disease or an allergic reaction.
Here is what PetEducation.com has to say, but please go to their website and read the complete article:
"With the advent of once-a-month topical insecticides containing permethrin, tick control has become a lot easier and more effective. Permethrin, which is an ingredient in Bio Spot-Spot On for Dogs and K-9 Advantix, is a very good repellent, and if the tick attaches itself to the animal it will die within 12 hours preventing the passage of the B. burgdorferi. (Permethrins should NOT be used on cats.) Very few tick collars are effective with the exception of a collar that contains Amitraz. Amitraz is an organophosphate that is very effective at repelling and killing ticks, but has little effect on fleas. Often using a permethrin product along with a Preventic Collar gives the best protection. Despite the claims made by many products to be effective against ticks, do not be fooled. Ticks are very tough and hard to kill. Our customers indicate that they have had the best luck with the products containing permethrin, fipronil, or amitraz."
Monday - 07/23/2007 9:45 AM
It is so very nice outside, 77F clear skies, humidity 66% which is a little high nonetheless it's a great day for working in the yard ... but I have a bloody neck and headache from doing too much yesterday.
Because I was so tired, Bob helped me pot up 21 rose cuttings all of the same rose. lol lol Of the 40 I potted up on 6/26 only 5 are for sure rooted and putting out new growth as a result. Others look like they are struggling and some definitely look dead. I accidently cut the water off to the misters and it was a full day before I discovered my mistake. Since it was above 90F that day, I'm sure that is why some look dead and probably are. I have learned a great deal about the process so I was ready to try again. Before relying on information found on the Internet I took tip cuttings which were very thin, although some have rooted. The one cutting I took which was pencil thick and about as long rooted faster and looks healthier. All I did with it was to stick it in some thoroughly wetted Miracle Gro Potting soil, put it in the shade and misted it every morning and sometimes in the evening, if I thought about it.
No two English Bulldog Puppies could be as different as Hope & Cherry Cookie. Cherry stays right with me, so close she is a hazard to my health and well being because I'm forever tripping over her and she's forever hitting me in the back of the leg with her nose. Now she's gotten to the point of thinking that is what she's suppose to do so if I get a step or two ahead of her, she catch up with a butt of her nose into my leg. Hope on the other hand, has a "big girl" attitude. She's not afraid of anything ... except that oblong dark green thing laying on the kitchen floor. I keep telling her, "It's a watermelon, you like watermelon.". They are both going to be what I call my Mini English Bulldogs, approximately 14" from the top of the shoulder to the floor, 14" from the back of the neck to the tail and weigh 35-40 lbs. As you will note in the below pictures, Cherry is a husky built little thing and Hope has more of a slender build, but both are as pretty as they can be.
I hope no one has their feelings hurt, I have 86 emails waiting for a response, but so very much to do to get ready for the litter that should be born Saturday, Petunia bred to Jazzman. This pregnancy is not agreeing with her in the least and she's dragging the ground which means she's either going to have 10 puppies ... or one or more are waterbabies and will not live.
Reba bred to Peanut, is pregnant also. She has to be the most demanding of Bullies when it comes to food when she's pregnant. I cooked a chicken a couple of days ago, she didn't want part of it, she wanted the whole chicken, same with pork liver, etc. If only you could hear this particular bark she does you would know she's saying "give it all to me and I mean it". The bark is loud and clipped (abruptly ended) but another one will follow. She sits almost on my feet if I'm at the stove or the refrigerator. Then she snatches the food from my hand as if to show me how starving she is and I'm suppose to believe it when she just finished eating 5 cups of soaked sPurina Puppy Chow with chicken stew poured over the top!!
Well that's all the news from Dogwood Pond, where the critters out number me. - Judy
Sunday - 07/22/2007 11:00 AM
Mama's chickie girl, she sticks so close to me that she bumped my leg with her nose all the time, now she thinks that's what she's suppose to do, bump my leg with her nose. lol lol
Pictures taken right after I made my 5:30 AM entry.
Hope
Mini-English Bulldog, she's not afraid of anything ... except that oblong dark green thing laying on the kitchen floor. I keep telling her, "It's a watermelon, you like watermelon."
Angel's Trumpets (Brugmansia)
Sunday - 07/22/2007 5:30 AM
Up and going strong this morning!!! We've been eating fresh vegetables but I have to say the tomatoes we bought at the Farmer's Market in Corinth, Mississippi on Wednesday were the best I've had in a long time. Bob asked the man what variety they were and he said it was a new cross without a name just a number which started with an "M". Too bad he said he is seldom at the market because we would surely be making a trip back this coming Wednesday for more " maters".
I hope you will have a peaceful Sunday. - Judy
Saturday - 07/21/2007 2:30 PM
I know you have seen pictures of most of these before but each rose seems to have a look all it's own so I'll post them all.
"Proud Land"
"Unknown Apricot"
Chicago Peace
America
Datura
Voodoo Lily (sauromatum guttatum)
Daylily "Madge Cayce"
Saturday - 07/21/2007 11:30 AM
Good Morning Everyone!!!
We completed the morning chores, took some pictures, ate breakfast and are about to start on the list of priorities, ticking them off one by one. I'm going to spend the day answering emails while Bob mows, uses Roundup to kill some weeds and then sprays fungicide on the Roses. Meanwhile, here are the pictures of the "plant holder" I had Bob to make up for me. I think it turned out to be fairly presentable and if it works like I envision I want them everywhere ... Bob said not in his "Country Rose Garden". I believe he thinks they look tacky, but please keep in mind he doesn't like my tire planter nor did he like my pink flamingos. The Bullies kept stalking and running into the flamingos until finally I tossed them, they are collectors items now. lol lol
Friday - 07/20/2007 8:30 PM
Yes I did .... I slept until 8:30 AM. Bob kept the dogs quiet and did all the "must do" chores, so I could sleep. At 10:30 PM, I went downstairs to tell him I was awake so he would come up to bed. My head hit the pillow and I was asleep. I woke up at 1:30 AM for just a few minutes, then back to sleep. When I finally got out of bed at 8:30 AM, I felt I had been run over by a Mack Truck. I call that a "sleep hangover". lol lol But I so need that deep sleep. It took a couple of hours for me to get it into 3rd gear but I got it there.
We worked hard after the clouds rolled in to cool things off a bit. We had a light rain but need a really good one. I wanted to plant some of my Angel's Trumpets in the ground but the hole would have to be really deep and wide ... I would have to have a backhoe to dig holes big enough. I decided if I had something like a giant pot without a bottom that the roots of the Angel's Trumpets could grow into the ground but there wouldn't be a need for digging such a big hole.... I looked and looked for "something" that would work. Finally it popped into my mind green heavy plastic covered wire fencing about 3 feet tall we had a roll, it would support a liner. Tried shade cloth it worked but the water could be sprayed through it so that wasn't any good, the soil would wash out. Thought about black plastic, it should work, then had the idea of using Army Surplus sleeping mats made of green foam rubber, tough stuff. I had them between the old raised bed as a ground cover to prevent weeds and grass from growing, plus give me a even walking area. Bob built me three and I think they are going to work like a charm. I planted Angel's Trumpets in them today, I'll take pictures of them tomorrow and then everyone will think I'm a redneck for sure. lol lol
I hope you have a good night's sleep. - Judy
Thursday - 07/19/2007 3:15 PM
I made egg salad and tuna salad. Then I baked dried fruit cakes while cooking okra then corn on the cob in the microwave. The bullies heard me cracking the boiled eggs and started having a fit for one, are they spoiled or what!!! I gave each one of them a quarter of an egg. It was Hope's first boiled egg and she LOVED it!!! lol lol
Thursday - 07/19/2007 8:00 AM
....hehehe I asked Bob what he wanted for breakfast, toast and scrambled eggs? He replied no, then said, whatever you want. So here he sits with a bowl of okra cooked in the microwave and the next course is corn on the cob. lol lol That's what I wanted.
Thursday - 07/19/2007 4:30 AM
I mean to tell you working out in the sun/heat planting flowers yesterday got us both testy.
I'll be the first to admit that when I get hot, I'm hot... don't mess with me. Matter of fact
don't talk to me, don't even look at me....... I have to cool down now or pass right out where
we stand. Yesterday, I was up at 3 with my neck causing such pain that I had high blood pressure. I stayed up wrote Judy's Journal, edited pictures etc. We got through with the morning chores, started in planting the Siberian Iris and yellow Daylilies around the two beds Bob finished building the day before, they are 4x4. I got too hot and grouchy, so did Bob. I told him some of this stuff just isn't getting planted today,
because the effort will plant me 6 feet under. I picked them up, plunked them into a
bucket of water, put it under one of the Oak trees and came inside. Got a watermelon we
had bought, put it on the counter, cut it in half, ate about a quarter of it, drank ice
cold water I had in the freezer and went back outside to help Bob bring it to a halt. We
came inside cooled off by playing mindless games on the computer, then got ready and went
to Corinth, MS for groceries and "dirt"... I've got this crazy idea for planting the Angel's Trumpets in the
ground, kind of. I'll take pictures tomorrow. We bought groceries, stopped at the
farmer's market for fresh produce, went to Wal-Mart, etc. When we bought 12 bags of "dirt"
bagged potting soil, black cow manure and compost, I fell in love with an Althea and had to have it since it
was only $6, the bloom is purple. I'll take a picture. 
Once back home we unloaded the van, completed the evening chores, ate watermelon for
supper and came upstairs, exhausted. We went to bed about 7 PM Then the Bullies started
acting up. Bob went down 3 times but they must have heard him coming so nothing seemed
wrong. I dozed off and then the dogs started again. I crept downstairs and found
Strawberry Pie acting like a fool, throwing a stainless steel feeding bowl in the air and
jumping on it. I took it away from her and gave her a beef bone to chew on. Minutes later
Bob and all the Bullies were snoring happily, but I was wide awake. lol
lol
That was my yesterday .. Now we're about to charge forward with today. - Judy
I obtained these seeds from a hybridizer friend and it's been two year in the making.
It started out as white, now look what's happened!!
Wednesday - 07/18/2007 4:00 AM
The first thing I do every morning is access the weather via the internet so that we can plan the day's activities. Currently it is 71.3 °F Clear Humidity: 95% and the high is predicted to be 88 °F. Therefore I can turn on the attic fan to air out the house while we go about the morning chores. It is so much easier to go in and out of the house with the Bullies, laundry to hang on the line, etc if the back door is open. There is no screen door but we are seldom bothered by insects and a screen door would hamper access also. After the morning chores are complete we can plan to spend time working in the yard because there should be cloud cover for most of the day.
Yesterday, Bob finished the last two raised beds in the Country Rose Garden so now I can plant around them. One problem is I don't have any more Iris of the same variety that I planted around the others, therefore they will have to be another variety. I would have preferred they all match, but.... I can never explain so I best post pictures.
There are three of these raised beds down the center of the Rose Garden area. I have planted daylilies and Iris around the outside of this one on all four sides and I think it helps to soften the look, plus ties it in with the larger raised beds which have the same plantings on the two back sides, as shown in the second picture below.
Bob has sprayed with Roundup twice and put down pre-emerge to prevent seeds from sprouting. Once we are sure that the Roundup has worked we are going to fill in the area between the raised beds with mulch. I never thought of mulch as the icing but in this case I think it will be. lol lol It should finish off the look we are trying to achieve, a Contry Rose Garden.
Yesterday when my neck woke me up, I went back to bed and slept until 7:30, I felt I was "behind the 8 ball" all day long so this morning I'm going to stay up and start in on the chores right away. Maybe I'll be able to take an afternoon nap. That makes sense but makes me chuckle, as a general rule I can't take naps, it's either go to bed and plan on sleeping for a LONG time or stay up. What I need is another 24 hour sleep in, but my neck will have to get over this "snit" before I can do that.
I'm staying away from the upcoming Fall Plant Sales, Gatherings and Swaps. I'm at the point of not wanting to even see another plant in need of a home in one of my beds. Gardeners are generous and in the process become "plant pushers", so even if I went just to visit, I would come back loaded down with plants. It's very hard to turn down a gift from a friend.
I've rambled on for almost an hour... it is 4:50 so I'm out of here. Hug someone you love today. - Judy
Tuesday - 07/17/2007 2:00 PM
... more pictures.
It's a cute little white, very pleasant if not exciting.
Roses
"Proud Land"
"Garden Party"
"Tropicana" -
we planted a canna of the same color in the raised bed with the rose.
Begonias
Orchid
Tuesday - 07/17/2007 4:30 AM
I didn't mean to be up this early, but I worked too hard Sunday, pulling and tugging on those Iris plus holding my head down looking at what I was doing in regard to the clumps of Iris, the old neck is giving me a fit. I woke up with a pain so bad, I took a Naproxen, although I'll have to pay a price for doing so. So what cha' gonna do ... toss the Iris??? get bit by a spider?? or end up with a neckache?? Hindsight says I should have used Roundup on the Iris, but I couldn't do that.
Melanie is wonderful but like the Bullies requires close supervision when she's allowed to run free in the yard, plus she's always "pruning something, with that happy tail of hers" .... a rose bush limb here, a clematis vine there. lol lol She went into a shade bed and started digging her out a place to lay, fortunately she stopped when I yelled "No Melanie". When Cherry is out there with her, Melanie is trying to get away so she can "go potty" and not looking closely at where she's going, then they both run into or over plants BUT we've planted extras in preparation for this so it doesn't upset us.
Take care of yourself and those you love today. - Judy
Monday - 07/16/2007 2:30 PM
so much for trying to take pictures of her outside. She was too interested in any and all things. lol lol (She weighs 11 lbs)
Siberian Iris Clumps, it was hard work breaking these clumps down into clumps which could be replanted. Now I know why some people use Roundup on Iris, Daylilies and such. I used a garden saw similar to a jig saw to cut some of the roots then started tugging and pulling at them until I could work a small section loose, keeping a watchful eye out for spiders and other insects. This is just one of the 4 clumps I worked on yesterday.
Roses
"Oklahoma"
"Intrigue"
"Garden Party"
Golden Celebration
Chicago Peace
Iceberg
Daylilies
"Madge Cayse"
"Fairview Frills"
"Joy Lane"
Canna
Angel's Trumpet
Another seedling is about to bloom. I'm looking forward to it opening but not getting too excited, a seed from the same pod, bloomed out a dirty white for me last year and I expect this one will do the same, but I sure hope for better.
Monday - 07/16/2007 6:00 AM
Drat, I just remembered I have plants in kiddy wadding pools that I must find a home forin the new rose garden. I have promised myself to tame my jungle before I can buy another daylily. lol lol At this rate, it might be next year before I can visit the daylily farm again.
I hear Cherry barking to go potty, I'll probably be back later today. - Judy
Sunday - 07/15/2007 9:00 PM
These are Siberian Iris 'Caesar's Brother'. The picture was taken May 2005 and they have
gotten out of hand. I had them in a BIG tub along with some "no name" yellow daylilies.
The tub had gotten shifted around so many times and always out of my line of view. I
absolutely didn't take good care of them this year. Knowing they are root bound and need
to be removed from the tub and planted out and since we're building the Rose Garden, I thought we might as
well use at least some of them. 
Root bound was a understatement, we liked to have never gotten them out of the container.
Good thing it was rubber or I would have taken a hammer to it. Finally, with the help of a
sharp shooter shovel, Bob got them out in clumps ... big clumps!!! I worked on them with a
saw all afternoon separating, washing the roots, etc. I told a friend I bet I had 100 but
there are 22 clumps with a minimum of 9 in each so that's 198. lol lol I'm sending at least
6 of the clumps to my friend who's been going through hard times and I've asked if she
wants more. Her plants are the ones sitting in the blue bucket on my potting bench. It's
going to be a challenge to figure out what I'm going to do with the remainder since they
are blue, but the plants in the goldfish pool are lavender so I'm trying to think of a
creative way of using them, or at least part of them around it.
Mr Cat got over being grouchy this afternoon. Here he is with Melanie, the rescue we got a
couple of months ago. You've heard the expression "snake charmer" well Mr Cat is a "dog charmer".
Our friend Twyla in Oklahoma is going to get the results of her cancer treatments on Tuesday. We would appreciate you praying for her.
I'm brain dead now, so I'll end this entry by saying, I hope you have a wonderful night! - Judy
Sunday - 07/15/2007 9:15 AM
Mr Cat is grouchy today. He loves the dogs and will rub all over them if given a chance,
but today when we went out with the Bullies on potty break, he charged up a trellis post
and sat there looking down on all of us.
Saturday - 07/14/2007 9:45 PM
DagNabIt, I just thought of a bed of Siberian Iris and daylilies, probably ditch lilies, I need to dig up, thin and replant. I must promise myself to get this done before I can get more daylilies.
Saturday - 07/14/2007 8:30 PM
I goofed off yesterday afternoon and most of today and even lead poor Bob astray. I got him to go with me to another daylily farm down in Mississippi not to far from here. I got two lovely daylilies and the owner gave me a "no name" one out of his wife's flower bed. Then this morning we got to a stopping point on the morning chores and went back down into Mississippi to a place where I saw a couple of farmers selling produce out of their trucks. We've been eating our tomatoes as soon as they ripen, so I bought more, plus we got a dozen ears of sweet corn. That was all they had left that I wanted but I got one man's phone number to call when we're headed that way and they will pick whatever I want ... beans, peas, watermelons, etc.
Bob taught me how to cook corn on the cob the easy way, chop of the tassel end plus a tad of the cob, then microwave on high for 2-3 minutes depending upon the size of the ear of corn and the power of the microwave. Then you peel it like a banana and break off the shuck. The silk comes out/off much easier after it's cooked this way. It's delicious!!
You know me, I find it real hard to pass up a bargain and the clump Daylilies are really a bargain, so I'm thinking about making a trip back to Tupelo, Mississippi so I can get 3 more clumps. Of course to justify the trip, I'll get a load of dog food while it's on sale. lol lol
That is all the news from Dogwood Pond where the air is perfumed with the scent of White Oriental Lily, every yard needs at least one. - Judy
Friday - 07/13/2007 12:30 PM
We spent the morning going to the Vet's. We bred Lisa Marie to Jazzman but will not know for 35 days or so if the breeding was successful. We're not getting our hopes up for a successful breeding, but decided to try one last time.
Holly's Little Hope was given a well puppy physical today, she passed with flying colors, therefore I will be offering her within the next few days.
Miss B is pregnant, we think, with one or two puppies and is due to deliver a week from today. There is cause for concern because she was spotting a week or so ago and hasn't felt well, hasn't been eating very much, etc. but today she's back feeling perky.
We only have one week to accomplish a long list of tasks therefore please don't get your feelings hurt if I don't respond to your emails or write too much in my journal. Just know I'll be buzzing around in 3rd gear working hard ... now where did I put that Cuban Coffee. lol lol - Judy
PS I cooked a chicken I had in the freezer for the dogs, but decided while I was at it to
make Chicken and Dressing for us. After it came out of the oven I got to thinking you all
might like to see it therefore I took this picture. I got out both Cranberry Sauce and Pepper
Jelly so Bob could choose which he wanted. I picked the Carnberry Sauce, but wished I had
picked the Jelly. The sauce tasted "diluted", or maybe it's my taste buds.Friday - 07/13/2007 5:30 AM
I'm having to control the formation of an obsession .... for Daylilies. lol lol I bet some of you had already figured that was in the making. There is a daylily farm just down the road where they are being sold at an extremely good price. The man bought out another daylily farm and he is culling out the duplicates and older one. Since I have very few these would be great to add to my collection ... no Judy you don't have a collection therefore don't need to expand it. lol lol See what I mean.
It's great to wake up laughing out loud, even if it is at my own silly self. I hear Cherry barking to go potty and I'm sure she will give me plenty to laugh about. Have a wonderful weekend. - Judy
Thursday - 07/12/2007 10:30 AM
Oh Mercy, we woke up at 4 AM turned over and went back to sleep. Didn't get up until Cherry Cookie started barking at 6:00 AM, she slept in also!! lol lol It was an overcast, 66F and 98% humidity. I was panting like a dog that had run a mile, by just taking one of the Bullies out to potty. Bob asked me to stay inside, afraid the humidity would trigger an asthma attack. I didn't do it to pay him back although I'm not sure he believes it, but I fixed hamburgers for breakfast. It was easy, I had already cooked the hamburgers so it was microwave to heat, slap them into a bun and eat. It was either that or BBQ chicken wings, because I was in no mood to cook. lol lol
This is the 3rd Daylily, "Joy Lane" that I bought Monday that has bloomed. I think the other two are
through for the season but they may be rebloomers. I am so perplexed by critters, they all, everyone of them, love my feet. I'm easily unbalanced because of my gimpy foot and leg and have to walk fast so what do they do, get tangle up in my feet all the time, run in front of me inches from my feet. Of course I abruptly stop and at times have fallen in the process. They don't do Bob this way, but he's a slow walker so maybe that is why. I'll be darting around out in the yard and even Melanie will be under foot, that is if Bob is around. If he's outside but not near me, she's with him. Bob thinks it's because I'm the one that feeds them the "good" stuff.
This is Mr. Cat this morning following us around as we took pictures of the blooms. He's
rubbing his face on a rose bush, because I wouldn't let him rub on my legs. One would think
that the thorns would stick him ... weird cat!!
I hope you are having a good day and are able to smile at everyone you meet. - Judy
Wednesday - 07/11/2007 10:30 AM
Here are pictures taken this morning......
Savannah Debutante
Madge Casey
White Oriental Lily
Tropical Canna
- in pot with Wandering Jew
I just love this tiny leaved Jew.
Wednesday - 07/11/2007 7:30 AM
Early last evening we got a hard rain, I awoke to a thunder storm at 3 AM and it is drizzling now. Melanie and Cherry Cookie have been out but the grown Bullies are pretending to be asleep, they do not like to go potty in the rain. lol lol Any minute now one of them will decide it's time to go, then they will all want out at the same time.
Yesterday we got the clumps of daylilies planted and in the process I broke off fans of each for a friend, to make her smile. She's had much sadness in her life the last few years and getting the daylilies will lift her spirits. The pictures were too ugly to post here but I sent them to her and she is so pleased.
I'm taking it easy this morning because I did a little too much yesterday. I kept waking up to a high blood pressure headache caused by the pain in my neck, old injury from a car wreck. I would sit up in a chair at the computer for a few minutes and it would go away. Then about the time I got back to sleep after sitting up, Bob yelled out "BS" which he doesn't even say when he's awake. He was having a colorful dream. I woke him up and ask politely if he would go downstairs for the remainder of the night. Whew, first my neck, then Bob, then my neck and then Cherry started barking to go potty at 5:30. If I take it easy today, my neck will be fine, but if I work it will get in a snit that will last for weeks. I should have taken some olive oil for inflammation, I'll have to remember that.
One of the most satisfying gardening experiences I have had is growing Angel's Trumpets (Brugmansia) from seeds, because each seed produces a "new variety". The variety maybe too close to what has already been hybridized for it to be registered and the two year wait for a bloom is too long, but I get a thrill watching the new blooms open and anticipating what it will be. Here are pictures of my first Angel's Trumpet bloom of this season which just so happens to be on a seedling. Since she's mine I can call her anything I want, so it's "Twyla, she's been through a lot but was determined to bloom, just like my friend.
First opened and I thought how oops, but knew the color would turn out solid ... tiny doubt in the back of my mind.
July 7, 2007 Bud about to open
July 9, 2007 ... yuck
July 10, 2007 .... beautiful
Oops there they go, I'll be back to post the pictures above. - Judy
Tuesday - 07/10/2007 1:30 PM
Here are the pictures Bob took at lunch yesterday. I hope they don't mind me posting them here. I'm the one in the black top.
Tuesday - 07/10/2007 6:30 AM
Cuban Expresso coffee at 4:30 AM tends to over charge my 3rd gear a tad, but I sure accomplished a lot in a short time. lol lol
70% chance of rain this morning, storm tracker has it headed straight for us and should arrive in two hours but .... most of the time the storm splits and goes around us. It's 72F with 96% humidity, makes it hard for me to breath and I have to breath in order to get all the chores done this morning.
We're taking a short breakfast break of biscuits, eggs and bacon, then it's back to complete the morning chores. Once finished there I will edit and upload pictures of blooms, although the daylily blooms don't look too good because they were rained on, then dug up and endured the trip home, but you can get an idea of how they will look next year about this time. - Judy
Monday - 07/09/2007 9:00 PM
I didn't write a lengthy entry yesterday because I was sick to the tummy and it wasn't my cooking. lol lol Actually it was some over the counter medicine I had taken. I won't do that again.
We were up at 4:30 AM and worked hard getting the morning chores completed, breakfast cooked and eaten, meanwhile I cooked BBQ chicken wings in the oven and fried up hamburger patties on top of the stove. I had to do all the heat producing jobs prior to it getting warm outside. By 7:30 I have done a days work by multi-tasking .. washing, drying, hanging dog beds on the line, watering all the plants. By 9:30 we were finished and sitting inside under the a/c. Whew!!! We dinked around for awhile then took showers and got ready to go to town. This time it was Tupelo, Mississippi for dog food and to meet four friends for lunch at Applebee's.
Ya'll know I'm trying to be good, but our friends had been to a daylily farm and I fell in love with one of them. The farm was about 25 miles South of Tupelo, so I had to go. I'm here to tell you that you can't buy just one daylily if you see them in bloom. I bought several clumps. lol lol It's all Sandra's fault, she's trying to get us all addicted ... to daylilies. I'll post pictures in the morning. Saying Good Night, just now. - Judy
Sunday - 07/08/2007 8:30 AM
We just wanted to wish you a peaceful Sunday.
Judy & Bob
Saturday - 07/07/2007 10:00 AM
Lots of people are betting on this being a lucky day. They are buying lottery tickets, going to casinos, getting married, etc. So far this has been a lucky day for us, we walked out into the garden and found the prettiest rose blooms so I thought I would share them with you by posting these pictures.
Yesterday we worked on the new raised beds after the morning chores were completed but we
were tired so we didn't get max production. This picture was taken this morning and will
give you an idea of what the finished Rose Garden will look like. At the top of the
picture are the beds we built last Spring. Right now I'm just plunking plants in and
around these new beds. Late last summer I got so very sick right in the middle of doing a big garden chore. I had tons of iris and daylilies dug from old neglected beds but then I was too sick to mail ALL them out to people who might have wanted them. Mailing them to someone takes a lot of effort because all the dirt has to be removed, then the plants should be soaked in a 10% chlorox bleach solution to kill any insects or fungus which might be hiding in a crevice ... the last thing a gardener would want to do is send a friend insects or disease. After shipping boxes were located, too expensive to ship in USPS priority free boxes, clear plastic USPO approved tape purchased, mailing labels written out, plants packed and lastly trips to the Post Office they were on their way. I mailed many and gave away many but the others spent the winter in the enclosed dog runs.
Earlier in the Spring we dug lots of "unknown" iris from an old homestead area bought by a friend's brother. It was when I asked Bob to move all the "unplanted stuff" to one place, under a tree, that I became hopelessly confused and I swear someone has added to the pile. I can't remember which ones came from where so, I'm just plunking it in the ground and will see what blooms next Spring. I probably just planted 59 triple ditch daylilies .... but they make my heart sing also, so that's OK.
The first one is what I hope I planted, It's about 2 feet tall, the second one can reach 4 feet when in bloom.
The 2nd one, "Flore Pleno" will be too tall for that area in which I planted it yesterday, but I can always dig it up next summer. Here is a picture of some of them which were planted to block by compost pile from view.
Friends have offered me many very nice plants but I swore to myself not to get any more until I have my jungle tamed!!! You do not want to see it all I assure you. We only have two weeks in which to accomplish this task that is why we are working so hard. Also I've not attended any plant swaps, nor have I gone to any get-to-gathers for fear of losing my resolve and bringing back a van load. A friend dropped by the other day and the first thing out of her mouth was "Oh My ... I've never seen so many plants". To which I added "or a bigger mess, but I'm working on it". I love my Blooms & my Bullies!!! - Judy
Thursday - 07/05/2007 5:30 PM
I'm exhausted, we were up at 4:30 because Melanie & Cherry were barking to go out and then we stayed up to beat the heat getting the morning chores finished. Then we went to Lowe's in Corinth, Mississippi for top soil, potting soil, humus and black cow manure .... to mix together for the raised beds.
We stopped at the County Co-op to get fly traps and fly spray for the enclosed dog runs. Since we were in town, we looked for "after holiday specials" and got 10 lbs of ground chuck at Walmart for $1 lb, can't beat that, if it's any good and it normally is. Popped into Kroger for "specials" but only picked up some luncheon meats. You all will be proud of me, KMart at the other end of the strip mall from Kroger, had a plant sale in progress, but I didn't even stop to look!!!
Oh and then we went to the "bread outlet store" for a couple of loaves of sandwich bread and a sack of "feed bread" for a $1. I cook meat for the dogs and sometime I use bread to thicken the "stew" which I pour over their soaked dog kibble. At times I get it into my mind that enriched bread is a better thickner than corn starch or flour, but it seems to go best with pork liver and that's what I have cooked up. Sometimes they just enjoy a piece of bread as a different snack, depends upon their mood and the quality of the "feed bread". This is cheap white bread so they won't eat it, they like Wonder Bread, the more substantial speciality breads, french bread or snack cakes. Bubba even likes Rye, but only light Rye. Mr Big Stuff likes wheat berry and honey white. Jeb shakes his, we say he's trying to kill it before he eats it. lol Cherry likes her's toasted so it slides on the floor and doesn't smush when she jumps on it. They are just like kids. lol lol
Please remember .... moderation in all things. A slice or two of bread every 4 months or so is a delight for the critters, but they certainly could not make a meal of bread. I had a man to tell me they fed their pregnant female Bully what they ate, sandwiches most of the time ... Lord Have Mercy the man got an ear full from me. She also got chips, do you realize how much salt is added to any kind of chip, I asked him.
Before we got through "running around" I was limping on my gimpy leg/foot but kept on going. On the way home I told myself just how stupid that was!! I forgot and wore my garden clogs, which do not support my foot well.
It's now time to fix our supper, soak food for the Bullies, feed them, let them out to potty, then crash, it's been a long day and won't be over for a couple of hours yet. - Judy
Thursday - 07/05/2007 3:00 PM
"Golden Celebration"
Peace
Chicago Peace, the one the deer ate, way back on 6/8/07
Winchester Catherdral
Intrigue
Unknown
Latest two raised beds, I hadn't planted the Iris when Bob took the pictures, they were just laying of the top of the bed waiting on me.
Planted in the corner of this bed is the rose Bob rooted from a cutting, "Gunny's Rose".
Thursday - 07/05/2007 5:00 AM
Not so lucky this morning, Cherry and Melanie woke me up at 4:30 AM wanting to go potty,
but yesterday Bob put them outside in exercise pens before they woke me up and I slept
until 6 AM. We worked hard to get the daily chores finished by 10 AM, took a little break
then went outside to figure out how in the world to plant all his roses, what to plant
around them, which to group together, etc. He's building more raised beds for group plantings
and for the
roses we're planting by themselves, he is going to build a box to look like the raised
beds without the railing, a kind of wooden flower pot without a bottom We are planning
to dig up two more rose bushes in the next couple of days at an old home site where
they will be cut down if we don't. Monday I got an email describing their location on the
property. They will bring the count on the rose bushes to 28, I just can't believe that
number, until last Spring he didn't have any ... then I bought him
3 as a surprise. I really started something!! lol lol 
I can't blame all this hard work on Bob's love for roses, it isn't just them, I have gobs
of plants that need to be thinned, moved etc so we're trying to work it all together. They
are just common plants that everyone has had at one time or the other and no one would be
interested in them for trades, but I like them. I'm one of those "so I have 100 common
daylilies of the same variety, they really show off when they bloom". Once the decision is
made on a planting site, Bob starts off using Roundup to kill all existing grass and weeds,
next a round of pre-emergent to kill any grass or weed seeds in the soil, the he builds the
raised bed, next he mixes the soil adding fertilizer, alfalfa pellets, banana
peels , egg shells, etc., then the actual planting takes place .... makes me tired just
writing all of that!!We picked our first cucumbers, squash and tomatoes yesterday. I also picked lettuce for a dinner salad, but once in the house found it had insects, so I threw it out. I'm totally against eating lettuce which has been sprayed with any chemical so I'll pull it all up today and replant the pots with something else. We have totally enjoyed the salads and will plant more later in the summer, or perhaps plant more in a week or so but put a row cover over it. I'll have to give that some consideration.
Around 5 PM we finished our evening chores, ate watermelon for supper and sat down to do nothing but "have to's" for the remainder of the night. We had been going strong for 2 days and it was time to unwind and give Thanks for our health, happiness, being born in the USA and living in the country where no one can say "Bob you can't have any more roses"
Time is short because the sun is rising and the grown Bullies will be wanting to go potty. During Cherry and Melanie's barking episode they pretended to be asleep, they weren't about to go outside in the dark .. "there could be buggers out there". lol lol
Take time to smell the roses in your life ... your loved ones, pets and friends, but be sure to avoid the thorns ... those who want to do you harm regardless of if they are family, friend or foe. - Judy
Wednesday - 07/04/2007 8:00 AM
Independence Day - 4th of July
The blooms of this datura open as the sun starts to descend, remain open all night and as the sun comes up they close again or melt as some describe it. I took this picture at twilight this morning, and consider it the best picture of this plant that I have taken. You have to click to open the larger view.
This is the same picture, lightened to bring out more of the surrounding plant. I couldn't decide which I liked best, so I'm posting them both.
Tuesday - 07/03/2007 9:00 PM
Eating like a hog, working like a dog and smelling like a skunk .....
Got up at 4 AM worked straight through all day, except for a couple of breaks. We rigged up a mist propagating system just to see if we liked the results it would give before building one. Early morning hours spent taking care of the Bullies and working in the yard, then the heat drove us inside. Around noon I started cleaning out the refrigerator freezer side by side. If it was "freezer burned" it went in the dog food pot and if it wasn't I cooked it up to see if we wanted to eat it or if they got it. The catfish I deep fried was tough and yuck so I think it must have been from Thailand or China and not really catfish, but those Bullies of mine thought it was great. I only deep fried a couple of pieces to taste test, the remainder I boiled up for them. Freezer burned broccoli was the top item they liked, begged for it ... too funny. Freezer burned Brussel sprouts were also a top favorite with the two females, who we are hoping are pregnant.
I didn't read emails and only answered the telephone once then let the answering machine take over. Didn't bother to check the mail, the driveway is a quarter of a mile long and the mailbox is at the end, so unless we're going to town or to take the trash to the county dumpsters, we might not check it for a few days.
BigDaddy Bob had to put out poison for tiny ticks and chiggers this morning along with his daily chores, then he finished the other two raised beds, planted two roses and put my iris and daylilies out beside them for me to plant. I started breaking the iris apart and found a swarm of tiny ants so I stopped, sprinkled Sevin Dust on them and will plant them in the morning. I'm about to go to bed, it's been a long day. I didn't sit down until just a few minutes ago, it's 9 PM - Judy
Monday - 07/02/2007 10:00 PM
We've been working so hard in the high heat and humidity, than when we finally sit down I don't have enough sense to do anything but go to bed and read for a moment, then we're asleep. It's up by 5 AM at the latest, sipping coffee on the run and we haven't been taking a break until lunch.
Just wanted you to know we're doing fine and trying to get a lot accomplished in a short time frame. Don't feel neglected. - Judy
PS Jennifer from Illinois who had one of our "babies" but split with her fiancee, sent an email wanting to know if she could get Hope. Jennifer is a very nice young lady so we're going to work toward placing Hope with her. I'm not sure we would have considered "placing her" if it hadn't been Jennifer who wanted her. Things have a way of working out. Hope is going to be a Mini English Bulldog for sure and she is just so very special .... gosh awful spoiled though because I thought we were going to keep her. If I'm cooking and she smells meat she barks at me for a taste and I give it to her, she loves cracklings (fried pork skins) and if she sees me giving them to the grown critters, she barks for her share and I give in ... BAD JUDY!!!
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